31 Days of Devotions: Day 1: Happiness vs. Holiness

                                         Day 1: Happiness vs. Holiness

1 Peter 1:15-16 “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

 

The passage above in 1 Peter refers to Leviticus 11:44-45, where God says to the Israelites that God’s people (which includes us, now that we are grafted into the vine) are to reflect God’s character in our lives. We are to be sanctified, which means set apart. This is a command, not a suggestion.

There are many lies out there that Satan uses to keep us from “being holy,” a few that come to mind:

1.     If I’m not happy, then God must not love me. God doesn’t promise us happiness; in fact, quite the opposite. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:29-30 and Romans 8:17 that suffering is a privilege we share with Christ. Happiness is subjective, not objective. Our circumstances can change our happiness. What we should be seeking is Holiness, because Holiness produces Joy. Our joy is found in Christ. We can be joyful in our suffering, no matter what that may be, because our Joy comes from the Lord.

 

1.     My past defines me, and God doesn’t want me if I’m not pure. In John 4:1-17, we find the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. The Jews of Jesus’ time considered Samaritans “Second-Class” citizens. They were the result of Jews breeding with other people groups. This woman was also a prostitute. Jesus stopped, spoke to her, and shared how to have eternal life. Think of other stories, Zacchaeus, a tax collector, and Matthew, a tax collector. These were the lowest of the low. Abhorred by the Jews of Jesus' time. Yet Jesus stopped, made time to care for them, and called them to follow Him. There is nothing that you have done in your past that is irredeemable.

 

1.     I am alone, and I’m the only one who struggles with____. If we look at Hebrews 4:15, we can see that this is simply not true! Jesus was tempted in ALL of the ways that we are tempted. All sin can be classified into three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Jesus had to be tempted with those things, or else how could he be our “Great High Priest” who was tempted and remained sinless to atone for our sins? In Matthew, we see that Jesus' three temptations encompass all sin. Also, remember that in Ecclesiastes 1:9 the Scripture says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

 

1.     I have to be perfect. Remember Paul? You know, the author of the majority of the New Testament? In Romans 7:18-20, he says this: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

 

Scripture includes examples where followers of Christ did evil things, such as King David, who committed adultery and arranged a murder to cover it up. Yet, God called him a man after His own heart because David genuinely repented and asked for forgiveness. This shows that Jesus' sacrifice is not a free pass to sin. Instead, when you repent, ask for forgiveness, and turn your life over to Christ, God no longer sees your sin—He sees the righteousness of Christ.

 

These are just a few of the lies Satan tells us, which we readily believe. I would even venture to say that we want to believe them because God’s love and free gift could never be free. That’s too simple, right? Wrong. Ephesians 2:8-9 has this to say: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not that of yourselves: it is the (Free) gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (emphasis mine) It is free to us, but it isn’t free. Jesus gave His life to pay the cost of our sins.

 

 

We often mistake happiness for the solution, but happiness is temporary, disappearing as soon as circumstances or the weather change. In contrast, joy comes from holiness, from being set apart, and from understanding that, unlike happiness, your joy cannot be stolen. Our joy is rooted only in Jesus.

 

Questions to reflect on:

1.     If God sees me as perfect because He created me, and He sees Christ when He looks at me, who am I to see me any differently? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      

3.     What lies does Satan tell about me that I believe and tell myself? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.     Can I commit to giving myself positive affirmations every morning? Many are in scripture. Write them on 3x5 cards or in a small notebook. When negative thoughts creep in, read and say them aloud. A friend once suggested writing a simple prayer on a card to stick on my mirror so I could pray it while getting ready for the day:

“God, please help me to see myself the way you see me, please help me to love myself the way you love me.” I did this every day for I don’t even know how long and guess what: I don’t have to read it anymore. It immediately pops into my mind when I get up, and when I’m struggling, my thoughts turn to that prayer to God.

 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father God, please help me to resist the lies of the devil. Please help me see myself the way you see me and help me love myself the way you love me. In Jesus' name, Amen.   

 

 

 

Christians and Cancel Culture

Recently the world of Christian music was rocked by allegations at first and now those allegations are confirmed by former founder of DC Talk and former front man of Newsboys, Michael Tait. If you are new to Christian music or haven't heard of DC Talk and Newsboys I would encourage you to give them a listen in spite of the confession that these allegations are, in fact, true. The music is good; the lyrics speak truth. 

When Michael stepped down as lead singer of Newsboys in January of 2025, I, like everyone else was surprised. At that time, only him, his band mates and a few others knew the reasons for the departure, oh yeah, God also knew. Earlier this month, when these allegations were made public, Michael soon went to social media to admit that the allegations were "Largely true." The Christian music world was rocked. Amidst the allegations, a Christian radio network announced that they had succumbed to "Cancel Culture" and were pulling Newsboys and DC Talk from their lineup. To them I say "Shame on you" and I will no longer be supporting your radio stations. 

I grew up as a follower of Christ I have now been a follower for 48 years. I grew up during the 70's, 80's and 90's. I lived through all of the Televangelist scandals. That was before "Cancel Culture" was as rampant as it is today though. As a lifetime believer and also a Minister of the Gospel, I do not endorse or support "Cancel Culture" in any way and I'm certain that the Scripture doesn't endorse it either. We can look as far back in Scripture as Adam and Eve to see that this is demonstrably not the case with God. While there are repercussions to our sin and the mistakes we make, God redeems us, redeems our sin and transforms us if we let Him. 

Let's consider that story, and a few others, directly from Scripture to see how they play out. Way back in Genesis 1:26-28 we see the creation of man. God had already created the heavens and the earth at this point, and all animals, and although He had said that creation was good, it was still lacking something. Let's jump right in at verse 26: Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth," So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Let's quickly look a little further on, noting that after everything God created, He said "it is good." In verse 31 of Genesis 1, we see that God said something different after He created man, it says: "Then God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good." Notice that it was only after God had created mankind in His image that He said it is very good. Creation was good, but it was missing something, the image and likeness of God.

Now, let's shoot over to Genesis 3, I'm not going to quote the entire chapter, but I encourage you to read it for yourself, I will just highlight the key points that I am making. Verse 1 of chapter 3 says "Now the  serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" The serpent was filled with the devil, this is clear from many places in Scripture, Satan is often described as a serpent. Notice what he does here, he sprinkles some truth in, just enough to make it sound like what God had said, he knows exactly what God had said. Verses 2-3 "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die'.'" Notice the progression of the perversion of the word of God, it went from what God said "Do not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden, or you will die," to Satan twisting it, and saying that God had said "Any tree", there comes the confusion, to Eve compounding the perversion, perhaps because she didn't get the news from God firsthand, but through her husband, "You shall not eat it, or touch it." Next, in verse 4-5 comes Satan's temptation to Eve "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." More lies, perversion of the Word of God. We know the rest of the story, Eve brings the fruit to Adam, they partake and immediately know the repercussions as God had stated them. Sin had entered creation.

Notice though, their actions had consequences and repercussions that would trickle down and grow throughout the ages. The did not die immediately, God didn't cancel them, instead there were consequences, death was now a thing, and not to mankind alone, everything now dies due to this sin. God set them apart from the garden, and now they had to eat and live by the sweat of their own brow. Before, while they were tasked with caring for creation, they didn't have to do anything to be able to eat or survive, God provided for them completely. 

Let's look at another example in the Old Testament. This example is found in 2 Samuel 11 again, I recommend reading the whole chapter, but we will start at verse 2 and read selected verses in the interest of not dragging this out. "The it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold." He inquiries about her and is told that she is the daughter of Eliam , and the wife of Uriah the Hittie, he sends messengers to her, and she comes to him, they lay together, she gets pregnant. David compounds the sin, by trying to trick Uriah into laying with his wife, so that he would believe that the child was his. This doesn't work, so eventually David has Uriah sent out to the front lines, and orders that the troops retreat except Uriah, no one tells him (this is intentional) and Uriah is killed. David was canceled by God, right? Guess again, in Acts 13:22 we see "And when He had removed him (King Saul), He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." God, who is omniscient, knew David's heart, He knew that David would commit multiple sins, including Idolatry, Fornication, Adultery, and Murder. Yet He still calls David a man after His own heart. 

There are many more examples Scripture is littered with them. Peter, Paul. I told you about the examples when I was growing up, although I didn't cite them by name, the great reformer Martin Luther made some really bad anti-sematic statements, but none of these people from Scripture were canceled by God, and even many of our modern-day examples weren't canceled by God or even by the world, or other Christians. Scripture is very clear about this: "All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." -Romans. Read that first word again ALL. You, me, everyone that ever has lived, or will live, except Jesus. That is why His blood can cleanse and redeem us, why His sacrifice is enough, Once and For All, but in order for that to be true and for us to be redeemed and found blameless, we must repent and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. We must put Him on so that God the Father looks at us and sees Christ. 

When we partake in "Cancel Culture" as believers, we make ourselves Judge, Jury and Executioner. A place that none of us has the right to assume. Christ said to the Pharisees who wanted Him to condemn the woman at the well "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Notice that the only one who had that right did not do so. That should speak volumes to us. I don't know Michael Tait's heart; I do know that he has done a lot of good through his words and using his talents to further the kingdom. I have read his very public apology; I know that he has sought treatment and has been clean and sober for 6 months. I believe he is sincere in these things; he even stated that he prays that no one loses their faith or rejects the salvation of God because he fell short of God's Glory (As we all do, every day). Will there be further consequences in the legal arena? I don't know, we will have to wait and see, however, I do know from the examples cited above, bad acts do not and should not negate all of the good that one does, We don't have that right. If someone is repentant, and shows that they are working to change, let's rally around them, not reject them. 

I'm sure glad that God didn't "cancel me" aren't you? Let's choose the same path.

Blessings,

Rev. Michael

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Part 2

 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

If you have been around the church at all chances are that you have heard of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. You might not understand exactly what this means. This Blog entry will attempt to teach you what that means as well as what the Spiritual gifts are. There are 16 Spiritual gifts listed in the Scripture, these are not to be confused (but they often are) with the Fruits of the Spirit. Today we continue with our study on these gifts. Also we will include some tools that you can use to do a self assessment of what your active gifts are that you are presently working in as well as where you have gifts that you have, but may not be actively working in at present, but have potential strength to work in. It should be noted that unless noted otherwise, all scripture is in the NKJV version.

Shepherding: Looking out for the spiritual welfare of others.

What is Shepherding? Websters describes shepherding as this: a person who tends and rears sheep. What does this look like in a Biblical context? Well, a person who is appointed and anointed to tend and rears people. Tending to them, meeting their needs, Spiritual first and foremost, but someone who is a Shepherd or Pastor is also usually very gifted in the area of Administration as well, and so, they also oversee other ministries that tend to the other needs of the people such as Christian Education, Helps, Hospitality so that the people's physical and other needs are met as well, when a person's basic needs (Food, Housing, Clothing, etc.) are met, in my experience, they tend to be more receptive to the Gospel message, because those are things that are important and they become distractions when they are not being met. What does it mean to "rear" a person? Well, anyone with children can explain that to you quite handily, but I will cover it here as well. Rear means to raise. From birth to adulthood (and even beyond to some extent) as parents, we rear or raise our children. This doesn't stop at age 18. As parents, we teach our children actively and inactively by the things we say and do. The examples we set throughout our lives as they are growing and even into adulthood teach them how to interact with God and others. So be careful with how you live because you are teaching your children through your words and deeds.

So a Pastor, or Shepherd does all of these things in the lives of the congregation. Another duty that falls under the Shepherding gift is that of a Counselor. Proverbs 15:22 states: "Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitude of counselors they are established."

Faith: Trusting God to fulfill His plan. People with this gift are encouragers. 

What is Faith? Our buddies at Websters describe it this way: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. A system of religious belief. A strongly held belief or theory. 

I don't really care for these definitions so much. They seem to view Faith in a purely secular view, yes looking at religion and such, but from a worldview. I, myself, tend to think of my faith as a relationship, I try not to use the word religion because it puts a bad taste in people's mouths. Biblical Faith is best described in my opinion as it is found in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We all have faith, even unbelievers. Faith that we will get in the car and safely get to our destination. Faith that the pilot of the airplane knows how to fly the plan and we won't crash and die in that crash. etc. etc.

In Romans 12:3 Paul teaches this: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he out to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." So unto EVERYONE is given a measure of faith. What we put that faith into is our choice. To be right with God, we must put that faith into action, firstly, by putting that faith in Jesus and what the scripture teaches about him being the pure and holy Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Then we put that faith in action even further by doing good works, teaching others about Him. As we do this, our measure of faith increases.

Evangelism: The building up of the church so that others will be led to Christ. 

What is Evangelism? Websters says it is this: The spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness. This definition is right on! Also, it further describes it as Zealous advocacy of a cause.

What does this look like from a Biblical perspective? It looks like what Websters says it looks like. We are to with Zeal spread the Good News! With Zeal share our personal testimonies. Sharing the gospel is one of our main charges. We have the Great commandments: Jesus said to him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great  commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Got that? The Big 10 as I often refer to them, if you fulfill these two Great commandments, You fulfill all of the 10 commandments. But the good news is that you don't have to fulfill the 10 commandments, because Jesus did! You just have to put your faith in Jesus, and love everyone as He loved you. Then we are commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 this way: And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" Amen.

So after that lengthy diatribe, Evangelism is spreading the gospel through sharing your testimony, sharing what you have learned about Jesus, and also by meeting people's needs which helps them to be more receptive to the message that you are sharing. Evangelism grows the Kingdom!

Apostleship: Motivators, church planters, missionaries: people who look beyond the walls. 

What is Apostleship? Websters defines an apostle as the following: Each of the twelve chief disciples of Jesus Christ. Any important early Christian teacher, especially St. Paul. 

What does this look like in a Biblical context? Apostles are actually any follower of Christ. Yes it is the first 12 that followed Him, but it doesn't end there. Every follower of Christ is an Apostle. Apostles GO, they make disciples (often interchanged with the word apostle) They don't just sit behind the walls of their respective churches hoping and praying that God will drop people into their laps, sometimes He does do this, but we are commanded to GO! All of us!

Service/Helps: Heling those in need of practical assistance. This is found in Romans 12:7 

This one is pretty self explanatory I think. Serving others, Helping them, meeting their needs physically, maybe financially. Again, there is often overlap with other spiritual gifts here, it is not uncommon for people to operate in more than one spiritual gift at a time.

Mercy: The person with this gift shows acts of compassion. 

I heard a phrase once that I now use to help when I am teaching the gospel to others. It goes like this: God's grace toward us is getting things that we don't deserve. God's mercy is not getting things that we do deserve. 

Websters says Mercy is this: Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.

Biblically Mercy looks like this: Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Got that? While we were God's enemies, because God cannot tolerate sin, that make us His enemies because we are sinners. God showed us His love and mercy by sending His son Jesus to take away the penalty for our sin. But again, we have to put our faith in Him and His sacrifice. 

Giving: People with this gift will freely give and with joy to further His kingdom.

This is pretty self explanatory too. Matthew 9:36 Says that God loves a cheerful giver. Every one of us should be doing this. This is a gift we should all practice. There are many, many examples of this, the Widow's mite is probably the first that comes to mind, but it is sprinkled all throughout the Old and New Testaments. 

Hospitality: Making people feel welcome, appreciated, and wanted. 1 Peter 4:9 teaches us about this: Bet hospitable to one another without grumbling.

Websters says it this way: The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

So Biblically this may look like this: Looking out for new people in church. Going out of your way to welcome them, learn their name, invite them to fellowship luncheons and such. But it doesn't only extend to them, greeting one another in God's love. Learning people's names, giving them a hug. Listening to their story. Asking them how their week went, and really listening. I went through an out patient program several years ago for some health issues, and one of the techniques that I learned about was called Active Listening. Part of this was listening to someone as they say something, and then echoing it back to them without elaborating on it, just repeating back what you heard. This shows them that you are listening to what they are saying and gives them a chance to elaborate on it, you might say something like this, so I heard you say this, how did that make you feel? Or I understand that you experienced this, is that what you are saying?

I promised some tools to assess your spiritual gifts. Here is one. If you are interested in others you can email me at: spiffwiggler@gmail.com and I can direct you towards others. This is a good preliminary test that you can do online.

https://giftstest.com/

As always, you can reach out to me here via the comments or email me at the above email address. I hope that you found this study clear and concise. 

Judge not, lest ye be judged...

 Judge not, lest ye be judged? We've all heard it, we've probably even used it on others before... But what does the Bible really mean when it says that? Let's look at the verse in context with the whole text.

All scriptures are in NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 7:1-5

Do Not Judge

7 “Judge[a] not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

So, what does it mean? Does it say don't judge? Nope. Look closely... Judge not, that you be not judged. At first glance, it does look as though it says that, but if taken in context, it goes on to say, that you will be judged with the judgement with which you judge others. Many people, followers of Christ included stop after that first phrase. But as you can see, it goes on to say that you will be judged by the measure that you use to judge. What measure should we use if we judge? God's measure, after all, only His measure could be used since we are all sinful. In and of ourselves, we are not qualified to judge. But God is holy! So if we use God's measure of right and wrong, how can judging be wrong?  But it still goes further yet. 

Verse 3-5 says that we look to our BROTHER's eye and see the speck... but don't consider the plank in OUR own eye, notice two things here, firstly, it says our brother, This applies to our fellow believers in Christ. Again though, it does not say don't judge your brother, it says not to do so without considering the plank in your own eye first. The verses say to remove our plank FIRST, then we can see clearly to remove the speck. 

Secondly, this does NOT apply to unbelievers. In other words, we are NOT to judge unbelievers... they don't know God's laws... So although they are NOT exempt from God's laws, we can only point out to them what sin is. The scripture says in Romans 7:7 what the purpose of the Law is: What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." The law, or 10 commandments served a few purposes:

1) Reveal God's standard of absolute righteousness. (There is no relative morality in scripture, in other words, I'm bad, but I'm not as bad as... Sin is Sin in God's eyes, no comparative shopping in the kingdom).

2) Convict us of our true guilt before Him. It is not my job to convict you of your sin, merely to tell you what sin is. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict you of sin. John 16:8 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:" This is Jesus speaking to the 11 remaining apostles in this verse. He is telling them, and us by extension, one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit that will come once He (Jesus) has ascended into heaven. He also states that the Holy Spirit cannot come while He remains on the Earth. (vv 7-8)

3) Provide an OBJECTIVE standard for measuring violations. NOT SUBJECTIVE! God's righteousness is righteousness, ours is as filthy rags. See Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:19-23. We cannot measure up to God's standard, if we could we wouldn't need Jesus' sacrifice. When we repent and take Him as our Lord, we put on His righteousness, that is ALL God sees after that. Romans 13:14, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 33:15, 23:6, 33:16 

4) Set Israel apart from other nations. Deuteronomy 4:1-14 illustrates this. 

5) Provides guidelines for worship and daily living.  Exodus 20:1-2, Matthew 5:17, Romans 7:12, Psalm 19:7 are but a few places that this is demonstrated.

6) Points to human sinfulness and the need for a Savior. Romans 7:7-25 demonstrates this principle.

7) Foreshadows the coming of Christ. Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1 are two places where this is demonstrated. 

(Notice that the number of ways it does these things is 7? The number of completion look at what the 7th way is)

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 States: For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? (Outside of the brotherhood of Christ) Do you note judge those who are inside?(Inside the brotherhood of Christ) But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

Clearly these verses speak of not judging those who are outside of God's law, meaning they don't know it, the way the believer knows it. But it does say to judge those who are believers. Again, let me be clear, Judging a person's fruits against the word of God (also called discernment) is totally different than convicting a person. We cannot say whether someone knows Christ truly as their Lord and Savior, but We can say that based on their words and deeds, if they match up to what scripture says or not. If not, we are to use the gift of Exhortation, which all believers have and are called to, some have a higher calling of this gift of the spirit in their lives, but all believers are to correct each other within the set standards in the word. The bible is clear on how this is to be done, First examine yourself and your heart, confess any sin that is unconfessed, this includes asking for forgiveness and maybe restitution with anyone that you have sinned against. Then go to that person and share your observations in light of God's word, if they will not listen, bring two others that your every word can be witnessed, these should be trusted believers, perhaps Elders, Deacons, Bishops, Pastors. Then, if they still will not listen and repent, you should dust your feet. This does not mean to stop praying for that person, however, walking away does not mean that the person is irredeemable. It simply means that you need to refocus on God's word and let the Holy Spirit do His job. 

Should that person later come back into the fold and repent and ask forgiveness to anyone that they have wronged, they can be welcomed back. However, this doesn't mean that they just resume where they had left off. You show them grace and mercy, but trust comes in different levels, and once broken, must be earned back over time and by them showing that they are truly repentant. 

The key as always, this must always be done through the lens of scripture, by the example that God set for us with Jesus's sacrifice. Forgive, for much has been forgiven you...

-Rev. Michael E. Washburn

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Part 1

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

If you have been around the church at all chances are that you have heard of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. You might not understand exactly what this means. This Blog entry will attempt to teach you what that means as well as what the Spiritual gifts are. There are 16 Spiritual gifts listed in the Scripture, these are not to be confused (but they often are) with the Fruits of the Spirit. It should be noted that unless noted otherwise, all scripture is in the NKJV version.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are as follows:

Leadership: encouraging and helping others to build the kingdom of God. This gift is found in Romans 12:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (NKJV) 

What is leadership? Webster's defines it as the capacity to guide the actions of a person or group. It involves providing direction, alignment, and commitment, and is a social process where individuals work together to produce results that they could not achieve alone.

What might this look like in Biblical terms Today? Someone who is tasked with the charge of shepherding others. The role might be different, a pastor/teacher, an elder, a deacon, maybe your church calls them by another term. But this is a person whose calling it is to guide others in a reaching a common goal. In the church this is primarily leading others to Christ's saving grace.

Administration: helping with long term goals and remaining on task. This gift is found in 1 Cor. 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. (NKJV)

What is Administration? Webster's defines it this way: Administration refers to the performance of executive duties. It involves the management of any office, business, or organization.

What might this look like in Biblical terms Today? Someone who is tasked with the charge of development of church programs and ministries, things like community outreach, maybe budget planning, development of Christian Education programs. 

The next three all kind of go hand in hand. It is unusual, perhaps not possible to find someone working actively in one of these gifts without having the others active at the same time. 

Teaching: instructing in truths and doctrines of God's Word.

Knowledge: teaching and discipleship. The ability to learn, know and explain God's Word.

Wisdom: the ability to discern works of the Holy Spirit and apply teaching and actions.

What is Teaching? Webster's defines it this way: Teaching is the process of conveying knowledge, skills, and information to individuals or groups by an instructor, often with the intention of helping them understand, learn and apply new concepts or principles. We must remember that ultimately the Holy Spirit is our primary teacher since Christ Ascended into heaven. John 14:26 states: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Also in John 16:13 we see: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

What is Knowledge? Our buddies at Webster's define it this way: Knowledge is the acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, acquired through study, investigation, observation, or experience. It involves clear perception of fact, truth or duty.

What is Wisdom? According to Webster's: Wisdom is the quality of being wise, having knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it. It involves discernment, judgement, and sagacity. (quickness, or acuteness of sense perceptions, keenness of discernment or penetration with soundness of judgment and shrewdness).

What might this look like in Biblical terms Today? Someone who is tasked with the charge of teaching/preaching. Perhaps leading Bible studies. 

Do you see why these three go hand in hand? They all involve knowledge, wisdom and teaching of principles learned through study or practical experience.

Prophecy: proclaiming the Word of God with boldness. We look at Rom. 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; (NKJV) also consider: John 16:13 here we see: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

What is Prophecy? According to Webster's it includes: An inspired utterance of a prophet. The function  or vocation of a prophet, specifically the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose. A prediction of something to come.

What might this look like in Biblical terms today? Prophecy is a unique gift because if a prophecy is truly from God, it will come true. Deuteronomy 18:22 states this: when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. Prophecy can have what is known as Progressive fulfillment, meaning, it can be fulfilled multiple times over time. This is also sometimes known as dual fulfillment. An example of this would be in Joel 2:28-32 about the outpouring of the Spirit, which had an initial fulfillment at Pentecost (Acts 2) and anticipates a future fulfillment as well. Prophecy doesn't change over time, it is the same in the OT as it is in the NT, the topic of the prophecy can change though. 

Discernment: being able to recognize the truth about a situation. 

What is Discernment? Webster's defines it in the following way: The ability to judge well; (in Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgement with a veiw to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

Discernment is spoken of in several verses, in Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus urges us to be discerning and discriminating while remaining non-judgemental. In 1 Thess. 5:21-22 Paul urges us that we should examine everything carefully, holding fast to that which is good, and abstaining from every form of evil. Proverbs 17:24 tells us that the discerning sets his face toward wisdom. This is another gift that can and is often linked to other gifts, many times we see people operating in several gifts at once. 

Exhortation: people with this gift are enthusiastic about the Lord and they can motivate others. This gift is found in Romans 12:8 as well (See reference above)

Websters defines Exhortation as an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.

In Biblical terms Today, this might look like strongly advising someone that they should change the way that they do something, perhaps how they speak to others, perhaps they are caught up in some pattern of sin that someone who may be more mature in the Lord has noticed. Exhortation would come into play, it might be the first step in church discipline. The scripture tells us to follow the following process in dealing with a sinning brother or sister in Matthew 18:15-17: Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established'. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Some key points to discuss during this procedure are: 

1. Confront the person in their sin and look for conviction of sin.
2. Discuss repentance and the cross.
3. Discuss redemption.
4. Discuss restoration and seeking forgiveness.
5. Discuss habits and how to change.

Ephesians 4:25-32 says the following about grieving the Spirit: Therefor, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

We will discuss the remaining 8 gifts next week in part 2 of this series as well as ways to Identify and Nurture Your Spiritual Gifts.

Blessings,

Rev. Michael E. Washburn

He's here!

 Luke 2

King James Version

2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

He's here! Jesus is here! Can you imagine? It was a relatively quiet night in the stable, I mean with all of those animals, and the shepherds, and the little drummer boy banging away on the drum (yes, I know that he wasn't really there, but it's fun to think of him banging away with everything else that was going on). I mean, when the angels appeared to the shepherds it was loud, and the scriptures say that they were proclaiming Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men! But the manger was a little different, there weren't any doctors or nurses, no machines monitoring mother or child. Just an unassuming baby being born in a stable, more like a little grotto actually. A poor carpenter and his betrothed. Yet, this family, now known as "The Holy Family" brought the most special gift ever into the world. The Messiah whose blood would be shed for the remission of sins and would be the sacrificial lamb to save the world if they just repented and believed on Him. Sadly, many would not, will not. The prophet Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 53: 1-12: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carries our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

You see, this passage in Isaiah talks about Jesus being rejected as saviour, messiah, king, but the rejection started from the beginning as we learned in one Christmas Eve service we attended, normally, someone would give up their room for a pregnant mother, but He was rejected even back then before He was born, no one gave up their room, or their comfy bed. This pattern of rejection followed Jesus all throughout His life, sure there were some who followed  Him and believed, many, but think of the many of millions more who rejected Him, and reject Him still. Yet even knowing that this would happen, that He would be rejected over and over, He still came to Earth as an infant, grew into manhood and sacrificed Himself for us, and get this, His love, God's love for us was so great, that even when we were still sinners, still God's enemy, He gave this gift for us. Romans 5:8 says that He sent Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners, His enemy! 
Would you die for your enemy? Jesus did! Jesus calls us to! Maybe not physical death, but maybe that is what the call is. Die to self, put them before yourself. This is how we show Jesus to others. 

The Good News is: He is here! He has conquered sin and death! You can have this assurance too! If you feel led, pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I can't do it on my own. I need you. I repent from my sins and ask you to be Lord and Saviour of my life. Thank you for your sacrifice. Help me to live like you and die to self. To put others first. Thank you for choosing me. 

If you said this prayer, I'd love to hear from you. If you have questions and aren't ready yet, I'd love to hear from you. One thing is for sure, we have a limited time to make this decision, so don't delay!

-Rev. Michael E. Washburn

Reflections on Christmas: A Wonderful tale of adoption?

Our Tale begins long before Jesus was born, long before Mary and Joseph were born. Back in the book of Isaiah the Prophet Chapter 7 verses 13-14: And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

The book of Isaiah was written approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Isaiah foretold Jesus' birth 700 years before it happened. In great detail, Let's look at the verses piece by piece: Who is the Prophet Isaiah addressing? The house of David (this is King David, and his descendants). Ahaz, who was a King of Judah, The Lord told him to go see Ahaz and give him a message. Ahaz had been hearing from God, and God told him to ask for a Sign that he might know that it was God he was speaking to. So Isaiah goes and sees Ahaz and gives him these specific details about Messiah, The Lord shall give you a sign, A Virgin will conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel (this means God with Us).

Flash forward 700 years to Matthew 1:1-18. Here we have the Genealogy of Jesus starting from Abraham, and ending with Joseph who is an ancestor of David the King, lots of begats. 

14 Generations from Abraham to David, 14 Generations from David until Israel is carried away into Babylon, 14 Generations from Babylon to the birth of the one called "The Christ" or "Messiah" the saviour, literally God with Us.

I want to look directly at verses 18-25 now: Now the birth of Jesus (who is called Christ, Christ is not his last name, remember) was on this wise: When his mother Mary (A virgin) was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, (Being espoused or betrothed is similar to our engagement, but moreso, in this time it was more similar to being married. You were promised.) being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. (Note that Joseph was called a just man, the dictionary defines the word just in this way: based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.) In these times, he would have been perfectly within his rights to publickly point out what would be perceived as her sin, she was a supposed to be a virgin, virgins could not possibly be pregnant, right? So she must not be a virgin and must have sinned by having premarital sex. What does the scripture say that Joseph is going to do? Put her away privily, not make her a publick spectacle, not draw attention to her circumstances and condition. 

The scripture goes on to say in verse 20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Can you imagine seeing an angel in a dream? We think of angels, and we think of certain images that are popularized in our media. The Cherub, that cute little baby cupid from Hercules comes to mind. Or a person with wings and a harp, or sometimes, in the case of a Warrior angel like Michael, A sword and maybe a shield, but still he looks like a human with wings, right? Let's briefly take a look at what angels really looked like, this comes from a Website, but I have studied angels in the Bible, in the old testament books, especially books of prophecy like Isaiah and Daniel, which are the first that come to mind for me angels looks something like this: Biblically accurate angels are supernatural beings that serve God and have various forms and functions12. Some angels have six wings, some have four faces, and some have eyes on their wings12. They have powerful voices that can shake the heavens, and they carry swords to execute God's judgments2. They move quickly and obey God's commands2. This description is taken from text on the website: https://bibleangels.com/7-biblically-accurate-angels/, but don't take my word or theirs for it, read it for yourself in the books of Ezekiel and Daniel, and even Revelation if you aren't afraid of apocalyptic prophecies (If you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you have absolutely no reason to be).

So Joseph sees this angel in his dream, now picture yourself in his place with the image above in your dream instead of how we typically think of angels. What would your response be? Probably startled? Afraid? Right? I'm not ashamed to say that is what my response would be. Joseph did exactly what the angel told him to do, it might have been out of fear I suppose, but I think that there was more to it than that. Look again at the description of Joseph in 18-25, he was a just and righteous man, keep in mind how the dictionary defines Just, morally right and fair. He followed God. Because it was the right thing to do. 

Mary gets a lot of recognition at Christmas time, and she should, she is the mother of God. Jesus, it's when we celebrate His birth, the Son of God, saviour of the world, He literally paid the price for our sinful ways so that we could be reconciled to God the Father, in fact, if we look at it Romans 5:10 says this: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." We were God's enemies, and while that was the case, God in the form of Jesus laid down His life so that we could be reconciled and saved to be with God. Would you do something like that for someone who was your enemy? 

Joseph is kind of the unsung hero of this story, think about it. He was a laborer, a carpenter, who worked with his hands and the sweat of his brow to provide for what would be his family.  He took Mary to be his wife, even though people would maybe talk about her situation. He accepted that child, Jesus as his own, essentially adopting Jesus and making him his own. He chose to be the father to that child. It takes a lot to love a child although it is one of the easiest things to do, just think of how much more it takes to love a child that is not your own, but love and support that child as though they were of your own flesh and bone. To me, this has a special meaning because you may or may not know, my father adopted me, chose me to be his son. Both of these instances, my own dad and Joseph are perfect living examples of what God the Father did for us through the death of His son Jesus on the cross and the resurrection. Romans 8:17 says it this way: "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." God chose to adopt us and make us heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. His adopted children, chosen by Him. All we need to do is admit and repent of our sin and ask Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Saviour. It costs us nothing except our shame and some humility to admit that we are sinners and that we can't do it on our own. At the same time, it costs us everything, we have to choose to make Him the one we answer to. In reality, we will answer to Him whether we do this or not, the difference is that when we do this, we choose to spend eternity with Him, we choose to be reconciled with God by Jesus' sacrifice.

I'd like to encourage you to enter into the adoptive family of God today. Make Him your Father, Jesus your brother. Find a good, Bible teaching church. If you would like help with that, reach out and let me know, I'd be happy to help. If you feel that stirring right now that this is a step that you need to take, please pray this prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I can't be reconciled with you but through the sacrifice of Jesus. I repent of my sins and commit to following Jesus. Jesus, please come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for making me your adoptive child. Amen

If you prayed that prayer, please let me know. I'd love to be the first to welcome you into the family and talk to you more about your new life and journey and help you find a church that is right for you.

God Bless,

Rev. Michael E. Washburn